From the Mayor
Thurmont
Mayor John Kinnaird
Mayor John Kinnaird was unable to submit his column for this month.
Emmitsburg
Mayor Frank Davis
February has been a busy month, filled with community events, meetings, and new opportunities to enhance our town. Hopefully, we’ve made it through the toughest part of winter as we prepare for exciting spring activities.
Town Office Updates
Our planning staff has been working closely with potential developers and business owners, encouraging them to bring their projects to Emmitsburg. We actively reach out to showcase the benefits of choosing our town as their new home.
Two key topics are currently being discussed by the town council :
• An amendment to the town code regarding student housing.
• A proposed Rental Registration Program, which would allow for health and safety inspections on rental properties.
For more details, you can watch the town workshop from February 10, 2025, on YouTube (Town of Emmitsburg Workshop) or tune in to Channel 99 for live and recorded meetings.
New! Recurring Utility Bill Payment Option
You can now set up automatic payments for your utility bill using a credit card or ACH banking payment. Visit our website and select “Pay My Utility Bill” or contact the Town Office for assistance.
Exciting Community News
I’m thrilled to announce the launch of the Emmitsburg Neighborhood Meals Program!
• Kickoff Date: March 12
• Time: 5:00-7:00 p.m.
• Location: Vigilant Hose Company Activities Building (Creamery Road)
The Town of Emmitsburg employees will host the first meal. For more details, contact Brandy at 301-600-6300.
Big Coaching Changes at Catoctin High School
As many of you know, I’m passionate about youth and young adult sports, as they play a vital role in the success of a small town. Congratulations to Brady Ridenour, a proud Emmitsburg native, who is being named Head Coach of Catoctin Varsity Football! Knowing Brady, I have no doubt he will bring the same dedication and heart to leading CH S Football as he does to everything in his life. I’ll be on “The Hill” cheering you on!
A heartfelt thank you to Coach Mike Franklin, who is stepping down after 25 incredible years leading CHS Baseball. His impact on his players—many of whom went on to play in college—has been immeasurable. Watching his teams play over the years, I’ve always admired the mutual respect bet ween him and his players. Coach Franklin, you have made us proud to be CHS alumni, and I wish you all the best in this next chapter.
Closing Thoughts
I am fortunate to know all the dedicated coaches at CHS, and this quote sums up their impact perfectly:
“Good people care about their children… Great people care about other people’s children.”
As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns, as we continue working together to make Emmitsburg an even better place to live and work.
Woodsboro
Burgess Heath Barnes
Greetings! Hopefully, everyone is staying warm, and if you enjoy the snow, enjoy this weather. I have had enough snow and winter, even though it’s only March. I am ready for spring and summer.
Correction: In last month’s article, I got ahead of myself in months. The budget meeting will take place at the April meeting, to be voted on by the council at the May meeting. I accidentally had it listed in last month’s article as being at the March meeting. We will still be holding a meeting with a more open dialogue concerning the budget as requested. In addition, the April meeting has been moved up one week. It will take place on April 1 at 7:00 p.m., instead of April 8, due to scheduling confl icts of some of the commissioners.
Mark your calendars for April 12 for the Woodsboro Volunteer Fire Company and the Town of Woodsboro’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt. The egg hunt will take place at 2:00 p.m. in the park. If you would like to donate can dy that will fi t into eggs or pre-stuff ed eggs, they can be dropped off at the town office until April 6, or I can meet you and pick them up.
Commissioner Rittelmeyer and I had two very productive meetings with the new water and sewer operator. We both feel much better about the status of our water and sewer plants. We will be discussing the details at the March 11th meeting. Several items that are saving the town money have been implemented; in addition, not nearly as many repairs are high priority as once thought.
Our water quality and testing consistently meet and exceed the testing standards implemented by the state. I address this because comments in the public hearing have been made that we may not have clean water, which is not true. We do have hard water, as our town is built on limestone, so our wells are dug amongst limestone, but that’s not something that we can control.
Reminder: Elections are coming up on May 10, from 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The burgess, as well as two council member seats, will be up for election. Commissioner Eckenrode will not be running again. Commissioner Case has not made a fi nal decision yet. I plan to run for one more term. All nominees to be on the ballot will take place at the April 1st meeting. If you have lived within the town limits for a minimum of 12 months and wish to run for office, you must be nominated at this meeting to be on the ballot. Nominations can be made by any other town resident. If you have questions about the requirements or the positions, please reach out to me or Mary at the town off ce. We are always looking for people to serve on the planning and zoning committee and the board of appeals as well. I encourage you to get involved. Woodsboro Days will be held on October 18 this year. I am looking for one to two people who would be willing to help plan and organize Woodsboro Days with me. For the last three years, I have tried to do it almost alone, but it has gotten too big for one person to do it by themselves.
As always, I encourage everyone to support Glade Valley Community Services (GVCS) if you have clothes or food donations, as they are always in need of items for members of the community. For more information, please contact GVCS by email at gvcs.inc@verizon.net or by calling 301-845-0213.
If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, or compliments, please feel free to reach out to me at hbarnes@woodsboro.org or by phone at 301-401-7164.
Woodsboro town meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. In addition, planning and zoning (P&Z) meetings are at 6:00 p.m. on the fi rst Monday of the month, as needed. If you have an item for the agenda, it needs to be submitted 14 days before the P&Z meeting. The current location for meetings is the St. John’s United Church of Christ, located at 8 N. 2nd Street, Woodsboro, MD 21798. The public is always invited to attend.
